The Alchemist (todomomo)
by NaTsuMe SenJu
Summary: In a world of sorcery, dragons and hybrids, an elemental wishes to overthrow his father to ensure the safety of the rest of his family. After hearing about the abilities of the alchemists who might be able to help him, he ventures to find one. Shouto X Momo. Also in Wattpad by @NaTsuMeSenJu
1. 1. The Baker & The Mage

"I will come back."

Shouto had promised his father with every ounce of hatred that he held. His father, the strongest elemental who practically wore fire like one of his clothes, was an intolerably cruel man who had forcibly married an ice elemental and forced her to bear children. After four children and accidentally hurting him, the youngest, Todoroki Rei willed herself to go into a coma. That's how the Todoroki siblings lost their mother. Not to death, but to a coma from which they were sure she would never wake.

But as their father's tyranny spread, the eldest son killed himself and the younger son went into a coma like his mother. Hours of beatings and being forced to wield their magic for too long eventually took their toll on the mother and her two sons.

The only daughter was forced to marry someone but Shouto had helped her escape right before the ceremonies and promised her that he would save everybody. But his father, who wanted a successor to surpass him, terrorised him to his limits and finally, the youngest Todoroki left home to be strong in his own with the aim to kill his father.

It had been two years since he travelled, trained and repeated that same schedule monotonously.

Today, he was in the village pub with his hair and eyes shrouded in an illusion because apparently, he was the only one he ever knew with heterochromic hair and eyes to not let anyone recognise him. Obviously he was an adult, a young adult but an adult nonetheless at the age of twenty-one. While watching a fight between two drunk idiots and occasionally taking a swig from his beer, Shouto quietly ate the plate of steamed potatoes in front of him.

"May we sit here?" A young woman inquired. Brown hair and large brown eyes. A chubby face. "The other tables are completely occupied. Yours is the only one that has any seats left." Her pleading voice made him nod.

The woman sat down with a man whom he had not noticed before. Probably because was standing behind her and was barely taller than her for Shouto to notice from a sitting position.

"You're an elemental, aren't you?" The woman inquired cheerfully as she plopped a piece of potato into her mouth.

Shouto carefully nodded but the sudden drop in temperature scared her.

"Please calm down. We mean no harm." The other man spoke frantically. Shouto calmed down but only slightly. His entire body was the only cool thing in the room for now.

"I'm a mage, so I can see the illusion. But I'm not powerful enough to break it. It seems quite complex." The illusion was quite complex indeed. He had made sure of it.

He simply nodded instead of replying. He didn't feel particularly threatened by this couple and he decided to avoid conversations and leave as soon as he finished his meal.

"So, where are you from?" The man was the one to ask. His untamed green hair and large green eyes made him wonder whether these two had ever hit puberty. Both of them looked like children.

"Here and there." Shouto carefully answered. The reply, another tool, which he had used everywhere to avoid any sort of association with his father.

"...okay." The green haired man simply continued to converse with his female companion. She had become bubbly under the influence of the beer that just arrived and started talking about a lot of useless things.

"Ne~ Izuku." The chubby faced woman was flushed with alcohol. She waved her hands back and forth. This made Shouto a bit wary. After all, who wouldn't? The drunken slob of a woman was holding her beer glass which could be thrown at any given direction.

Her light grey gown with a white apron had immediately become victims of a vomit attack.

"Ochako." The male stood up and was by her side as quickly as he could.

Shouto had finished his meal and was about to flee from the disgusting smell and its source when he was stopped by an 'excuse me'.

"Can you help me carry her home? It's close by." His mother's virtues came forth in the form of his acceptance and the two were off with a terribly drunken woman.

"Do you have any arrangements for the night?" The man, Izuku, asked Shouto as they walked towards his house.

"I'll find an inn." Shouto was about to turn away and be on his way when he heard a 'wait'.

"You can stay here. It's not much, but still... You don't have to pay or anything." Izuku started rambling on about how difficult it would be to find an inn nowadays and how expensive they would be.

"Alright. Thanks for the offer." Shouto allowed his face to soften a bit even though nobody could see that.

Midoriya Izuku lived in a modest house which was attached to a small shop the couple owned.

A candle was immediately lit as soon as they entered. Shouto could see a table with five chairs neatly in the center of the medium-sized room. The kitchen, he noticed, was larger than the ones he saw in houses like these. There were five doors. Two of them were side-by-side, one was a little further and two were almost inside the kitchen.

"It's not much, but please make yourself comfortable." Izuku saw Shouto staring at the kitchen for a while.

"I'm a baker. But the shop sells many items. Ochako makes candles. We also grow and sell herbs." Izuku says and rants about how the rains poured perfectly this season.

He goes into the room adjacent to his own and comes out after a few minutes.

"I've changed the sheets and set a blanket. Water is in that pot if you get thirsty in the middle of the night." He points to a huge pot in the kitchen which is very noticeable. "There are a couple of candles in the cupboard. If you want anything, don't hesitate to wake us."

"Thank you for everything." Shouto says sincerely. He rarely expects people to be so kind.

"Well, I'm tired. So I'll be off. Good night uhm... What was your name again?"

"Shouto." The reply makes Izuku widen his eyes and smile s bit. This man has already declared his friendly intentions by responding only with his first name.

"Good night Shouto-san. You may call me Izuku." The man gives a tired smile.

"Good night Izuku-san." He replies and doesn't take any interest in whether or not he addresses/was addressed with honorifics."

He enters the room and closes the door. He doesn't need a candle as his left hand produces fire instantly to serve his purpose. His fire lits the small room immediately.

There's a cozy large bed on the corner of the room which has occupied half of the room easily. There's a chair and a big cupboard which contains the candles mentioned by Izuku, another blanket, a pillow and a bunch of untouched sheets.

Shouto drops his cape and bag and removes his illusionary spell before burying himself in the fluffy blanket provided to him.

"Good morning." Ochako cheerfully says as Shouto opens his room the next morning. The couple is busy preparing something with a delicious aroma. When she turns around, she looks at Shouto confusedly.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" She asks. Upon hearing this question, Shouto is confused and Izuku starts speaking.

"What are you saying? He's the guy we met last night at the pub."

"No, he isn't." The brunette argues. Izuku comes from the kitchen in an apron covered with flour which hides his shirt and pants and looks at Shouto.

He looks confusedly at Shouto and then rushes towards the guest room.

"Where is he?" Izuku asks a bit menacingly.

"Who?" Shouto asks. Izuku is confused once again. He recognises the voice of his guest, but not the appearance.

"Shouto-san, have you removed the illusionary spell?"

Shouto's confusion disappears and sighs in relief before nodding.

"Thank you for carrying me back home." The woman, Ochako, thanks him with a small bow.

"Don't worry about it." Shouto awkwardly replies.

"You can sit for a while. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." Izuku walks back to the kitchen and disappears as he starts doing something behind the kitchen counter.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shouto feels obliged to do something after they've provided him with a place to stay for the night.

"If you insist on hiding your appearance, then you can cast that illusionary spell before hanging the laundry." Ochako says and points to a basket of sheets and clothes. "That door will lead you to the backyard."

Shouto nods and takes the basket and exits the house. The backyard is a small but colourful place. A kitchen garden with various herbs and vegetables. The tomatoes are almost ripening. The chillies are already ready. Shouto feels a calm breeze before he notices the large rope tied for the purpose of hanging the clothes.

He starts hanging the clothes one by one before he's called in for breakfast.

A plate of steamed potatoes with a little colour, an aromatic loaf of bread, a bowl of soup and a glass of water is placed in front of him.

"Shouto-san, are you running from somebody?" Ochako asks almost as soon as they begin their meal. "You don't have to tell us. I didn't mean to intrude or anything. I just want to know if you're not a wanted criminal or something."

"I'm not running, I'm hiding. And I'm not a criminal, nobody's specifically searching for me. But if I'm found, I'll be taken back to a place where I don't want to be."

"Well, Shouto-san you can stay here for as long as you like." Izuku says cheerfully with an agreeing nod from Ochako. Shouto feels relieved at the statement. It reminds him of the times when he used to dine with his family when his father was away.

"Is there anything else you might require?" Izuku asks.

"I'm searching for something." He starts trusting them enough to say things which are not too suspicious.

Like becoming strong to kill my father.

"I'm searching for something that can wake my family from a coma. You guys grow herbs, do you happen to know any medicine that can do the trick?" Shouto hopes for a positive response even though he has failed in gaining that for years.

"I can't do it. My magic deals with gravity. But there's a mage in town who's magic deals with healing and all. She can provide you with an answer." Ochako says thoughtfully. "I can take you to meet her. Izuku, will you be able to handle the shop for a while?"

"Mhmm." Her husband replies with a bite of the bread occupying his mouth.

After breakfast, Shouto helps the couple arrange their loaves of bread according to the sizes and different herbs in it. Cookies and cakes have also been arranged.

The shop opens and one by one, cheery customers come in, stay in for a little chat and leave after buying something.

"Come on. I'll take you to the mage." Ochako says to him after the shop has properly opened and Izuku has confirmed that he can handle everything.


	2. 2 History & Information

"Ochako darling, how are you?" A short woman pops up as soon as they open the door to another similar looking house. Shouto feels the cold wind and looks at the sky. Grey clouds are gathering slowly and he's sure that the rains will pour.

He looks back into the house and sees the two women take their time hugging and asking how they've been while Shouto awkwardly stands in the side with his cloak on. Between their chatting, he hears the younger woman talk about him but he waits for them to look at him before he speaks. His illusionary spell is still active but he feels it break apart the minute the short lady lays her eyes on him.

"Remove your cloak please. I do not tolerate strangers in my home." She speaks a bit too spookily for Shouto. He conplies to her wishes and earns a couple of widened eyes.

"You look exactly like them." She whispers into the air.

Shouto's mouth curls into a frown as he thinks that the woman has recognised his red hair and teal eyes.

"From this side, you look like a male version of Rei. Not that much like her father, but just enough to be her twin." He is surprised at those words because his assumption has been proved wrong. This woman recognized him because of his mother and again, he feels a little more respect towards a stranger.

"You knew my mother?"

"She's your mother? Well, that's great. Wait, you don't know? Your mother is well-known in these parts. What do you mean by 'knew'? What happened to her?" The bunch of questions slap him one after the other. He's glad to hear that he's in an area where his mother is well-known but after seeing how fondly she talked about his mother, he cannot find the courage to tell this woman about his mother's fate.

"My mother is in a coma." He says those words like he fires an arrow.

"Come, sit down boy." The woman leads him to a table and chair which are eerily similar to the ones in Ochako and Izuku's house. He rests his cloak on the back of the chair and his bag on the floor by his side and sits. Ochako nervously sits beside the shirt woman who has taken the chair opposite to him.

The older mage waves her hands and a kettle flies over to be filled with water and hovers over the fire afterwards.

"You have a bit of Miho too." She speaks again but earns a confused face.

"Miho?"

"Kid, you don't know anything about your maternal family, do you?" He shakes his head and hears a sigh.

"Miho was Rei's mother who died just before her marriage to your father, whoever that is. She was the one who carried the ice elemental gene which your mother inherited. Rei's father was a normal human who died due to an illness." Shouto accepts the information while feeling weird that he is learning about his own family from a surprisingly kind woman he met five minutes ago.

"How did my mother get married?" He asks slowly.

"All we know is that she got married to her somebody who took her away and never returned. A few days before the wedding, Miho died mysteriously and a few days after, her father died. In both their wills, it was written that Rei was to be married to your father."

The magical kettle had flown in accompanied by three cups and tea was served. After a sip of tea, the old woman looks at the young man and sees his plain expression and sighs again.

"You didn't know that do you?" He shakes his head again.

"Enough of history. Tell me everything that happened during the day she fell into coma. Ochako, mind picking those Ellas out there? It's about to rain already."

Shouto was glad that this woman somehow seemed to understand everything and sent Ochako away. He wasn't sure he'd be able to handle her knowing those personal details no matter how kind she had been to him.

"My male parent is Todoroki Enji. He's a cruel man. He married mother to produce an offspring so powerful to surpass Yagi Toshinori. I'm the youngest of four children. My older brother committed suicide. My second brother is also in a coma. My sister is in hiding and so am I. I don't know anything about where she is but she inherited the ice gene, so she's fine."

After a moment of silence and sip of tea, he continues.

"Sixteen years ago, he and mother had a fight which ended in him beating her up. Later that day, I went to see her and I peeked at her behind a door. She saw my face, the left side, and threw boiling water at me. Hence, this." He points towards a red blotch on his left eye.

"He came and saw me crying on the floor and my mother looking at me with a horrified expression. He beat her up again and that's when I awakened my powers. I created a wall of ice between them, but he easily broke through and beat her up again. I fainted and woke up in my room with my siblings beside me.

When I found my mother, she was glowing. Her usual gown was replaced by a simple white kimono and she was sleeping all the time. My father ordered people to pick her up and put her in her room but all of them got frozen by ice. An large ball of ice formed around her and completely covered her. That's how it has been since then.

Seven years after mother, my first brother died and immediately, my second brother went into a coma. Another three years later, I helped my sister run away while I got out two years ago." He concludes his story and takes the final sip of his tea.

The cold air from outside has somehow seeped into the house and the old lady has started shivering. Shouto uses his left side to warm the room and earns a soft look conveying gratitude.

"I don't want to offer you any pity because you've been very brave through all this and I know you can be even braver if the situation calls for it. As for your mother and brother, you'll need an alchemist to help you with them."

"Can't you do anything?" Shouto pleads.

"Is your brother a human or an elemental?"

"Elemental."

"Then I'm sorry. I can't help you. I'm a mage who can heal humans. While I can heal the other species, a coma is almost impossible for me. An alchemist is the only one who can help you with that."

"How can alchemists help with this? Don't they focus on making gold from lead and things like that?"

"That's the basic stuff. Alchemists who are at the pinnacle have seen what people call God, but there are a handful of those. Alchemy is not just about gold, there are a lot of things in it that even I don't know about."

"Do you know any alchemists?"

"I used to. But they're all dead. Apparently Todoroki Enji is having all the alchemists killed. Well, unless they are serving him. Alchemists are alive and out there. But it's up to your good luck whether you'll be able to find one or not."

Shouto's shoulders sink a bit and hope is flying out of the window.

"Here." A book flies out of a shelf full of other books. It has dust over it which makes both of them sneeze violently but Ochako arrives in time to take and wipe all the dust it off.

"This contains all the basic details one should know about alchemists and a map of the place of their origin, Mount Yuuei. Yuuei is one place where you won't need to hide your looks." Ochako has once again disappeared into the kitchen.

"Are you..."

"I'm sure, young man. There's a rumour about an alchemist who lives there but it's the only hope you have because your father can't afford to anger the people from Yuuei. If people from Yuuei say that alchemists are extinct, then that's the truth. Now get out and start your journey at sunrise tomorrow."

"Shouto-san, are you done?" Ochako comes from the kitchen and asks. Her hair has a couple of leaves and he promptly points them out.

"So, you're Shouto." She wonders out loud.

"I apologize for not giving you my name." He bows quickly and blurts those words.

"Don't worry. I didn't tell you mine either. I'm Shuzenji Chiyo." The three of them walk towards the door after Shouto picks up his cloak and bag.

The rain has stopped and the rays of the sun are slowly peeking. Another gust of wind blows as they bid farewell to the old woman.

"Kid. If you ever need help, we're all here for you!" The woman yells into the busy street. The people look at her and then at him and wave with smiles.

"That's our village. If sensei has promised to help someone, then all of us will." Ochako cheerfully says as she slips around the wet streets.

"You might fall down." Shouto warns, but the round faces woman pays no mind and skips around. Surprisingly, she doesn't fall all along the way, but her gown has become dirty from the mud. By the time they reached Ochako's home, the sun has completely shown itself and Izuku could be seen opening the windows.

"I picked the Ellas. I'm not sure if it's how you wanted. Just check it and tell me." Izuku tells Ochako and turns to him.

"How was the visit?" They walk inside the house towards the guest room Shouto is using.

"Fruitful. I need to go to Mount Yuuei. I'm a bit worried that they won't let me in there due to my lineage." Shouto places his bag on the floor and hangs his cloak on a hook on the wall.

"Don't worry about that. Even Mount Yuuei knows that Todoroki Enji's children hate him." Izuku suddenly realizes what he said and cannot find any excuse at all.

"I never told you about my father. How do you know him?" Shouto's suspicious voice makes Izuku shiver involuntarily. The room's temperature decreases and frost starts covering various places.

"I'm from Mount Yuuei. So is Ochako. We know a bit about the Todoroki family's internal disputes." Suspicion is temporarily removed and the room temperature is back to normal.

"Why didn't you tell me?" They exit the guest room and go to the kitchen where Ochako is inspecting her herbs.

"Nobody in this village knows except for Chiyo-san. She's not from Yuuei but she has lived there for a long time. Are you going to train there?" The flavoured bread comes out of the large oven and is neatly arranged before Shouto helps him carry the bread into the shop.

"I can train there?" A customer comes in and immediately buys one of the newly baked breads with a wheat loaf. They don't speak about Yuuei in front of the customer and wait for her to leave.

"You can find someone to train you. Since you're an elemental, people would be naturally interested in training you. But why did she recommend Yuuei to you?"

"My mother and brother are in a coma and only an alchemist can help me."

"Alchemist... Oh yeah! But very few people have seen that person even in Yuuei and I'm not one of them."

"Are you going to stay over tonight?" Izuku asks in a bubbly mood like his wife.

"If you let me." Shouto replies slowly.

"Of course. Just help us out during dinner. When will you be going to Yuuei?"

"First thing tomorrow." The resolve in his voice is absolute and Izuku decides that he really likes this man.

"If you want to focus on speed, I'd recommend Iida Tenya. If it's your senses, then Jiro Kyouka. There are many more people who can help you in different areas."

"Thanks Izuku. You've been a great help." Shouto smiles a small smile.

"You're going to be a part of Yuuei. You're going to be family." Izuku sells another flavoured bread and the day continues just like that.


	3. 3 To Yuuei, or so Shouto thought

"Have you packed up?" Izuku asks Shouto who's currently picking up his cloak. He had already been dressed and had packed his bag when Izuku had knocked and entered the room.

"Yeah."

"Here's a map. Yuuei is a secret among those who live there and who lived there. Other than us, very few beings know of it. So don't go around asking for directions from any random person you meet on the road. If one of the authorities of the mountain asks, tell them Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochako told you that you could find help. Also tell them about Chiyo-san. They'll kick you out if someone hasn't referred the place to you."

"Okay." Shouto walks out of the room with his bag and cloak on the ready. He closes the door and sits on the dining table with Izuku. Ochako pops by with a mouthwatering dish. Thin bread with vegetables and sauces and cheese all over it. Shouto hungrily picks up a slice and digs in.

"I'm definitely going to miss your cooking." He says and takes another slice after his first.

"We learned everything from Yuuei. So you'll be getting more dishes when you reach that place." Ochako comments.

"One more good thing to look forward to." Shouto speaks while chewing the saucy vegetables.

"Don't talk with your food in your mouth." Ochako scolds.

"Sorry." He apologizes after the food in his mouth has been swallowed.

The meal ends more happily than Shouto thought it would. He feels his heart warm with gratitude and affection for this couple who has made him feel so good with their hospitality. He has to refrain himself from chuckling at the irony of the fact that he never had such happy meals with his own family but here he is, with two people he met days ago, eating and enjoying the food and their company.

Unlike those books he read, they don't seem to be sad about parting with him. Maybe it's because of another optimistic feeling they have that he feels he lacks. Something about never bidding farewell as people will definitely meet each other. Or that's what he remembers from the books.

"I've packed some food. It should last for two or three days." Izuku hands him a small pouch with bread and cakes and a canteen filled with water. "Take care."

"If you pass by, do stop by." Ochako waves cheerfully.

"Thank you for everything once again." Shouto bows respectfully.

"Ah.. there's no need for that." The two of them fidget around and start rambling random stuff.

"Do visit us if you're ever near. We'll see you if we ever visit Yuuei." Ochako says.

"Hmm." Izuku nods in agreement. "Oh yeah! One more thing." Shouto stops and looks at the green-haired man. "Be truthful about your identity. You may think it'll help you if you hide it, but they will find out. And when they do, they will erase your memories and kick you out even though we told you about Yuuei."

"Okay. Thanks for everything. See you later." Shouto says and leaves the house. His illusionary spell has already been activated and he knows that the couple are preparing to open their bakery while he's on his way.

After all that time of reading that book from Chiyo-san and inspecting that map from Izuku, he knows that he has to travel North towards the mountains.

He has left the village and entered the green forests with the dew drops on the leaves reflecting the sunlight. He continues walking till he takes out the map to clarify a doubt.

He looks at the map and sees the village he's at. Judging from the time he took to reach this village from the previous one, he concludes that this journey will take at least twenty days and at most a month if he were to continuously travel on foot.

He could ask for a ride every now and then, but that would be as waste of money. So, he continues to walk.

Walk and walk and walk.

The sun had started looking at the earth very softly, but as noon arrives, the soft look of the sun turns into a harsh glare. Funny how the weather changes every now and then, but fortunately he's a dual elemental with ice and fire to wield. The right part which is icy provides his body with enough coldness to make him comfortable. Not even a single drop of sweat has formed on his body.

"Oii you!" Someone calls out. He looks around and finds no one. He continues walking till he finds himself looking around due to the suspicious voice.

"Why the hell aren't you paying attention to me?" The same voice speaks in an angry tone, startling Shouto. He looks around and sees no one.

When he takes another step forward, something lifts him by grabbing the collar of his shirt.

"What's your problem? Can't you see a lady talking to you?" The voice angrily huffs.

Shouto is surprised by the female voice and the force that lifted him, but he's still unable to see anyone.

"I can't see you. Are you hiding somewhere?" He carefully asks. This might be someone who wants to rob him. Or kill him. Or his father's mages who have recognised his life force.

"I'm standing right in front of you and I'm picking you up right now. Are you blind or something?" Probably not someone here to rob him or kill him.

"I'm certainly not blind, but I really can't see you. Are you invisible?" The elements are reflexively awakening despite a small thought that this person may not mean any harm.

"Invisible? What do you mean? I can see my hands clearly holding your collar. I'm not invisible."

"I'm sorry ma'am. But I can't see you." The force slowly let's go of his collar when he finishes saying those words.

Shouto takes a few steps to continue on his journey, but stops when he hears sobs. He's sure that the unseen woman is crying. He sighs inwardly at this troublesome situation he's stuck in because he doesn't have the heart to leave a crying woman by herself without offering some sort of consolation.

"I'm... Oh my God!" She bursts into sobs and hiccups and Shouto is still standing there unsure of what to do even if he were to provide consolation. He can't see her, so he can't pat her head like his mom used to do to him.

Shouto notices faint footsteps and walks towards the end of it. He slowly moved his hand towards to try and grab the woman's shoulder but can't touch anything.

"What are you doing?" He somehow knows that the hiccuping voice came from below and realises that the woman has crouched down. Shouto does the same and feels a tuft of hair when he moves his hand forward to touch her. He assumes, it's her head and pats it slowly and gently.

"Do you need my help with something?"

"Why would you assume I need your help?" She snarls, anger and sadness are all evident.

"You called out to me a lot of times and I ignored you because of your invisibility. I think you still need my help with something." Shouto replies. "Let's start of with introductions. You can call me Shouto."

"I'm Toru. Hagakure Toru." She introduces herself with a sob. Shouto feels pity for the presumably sobbing woman whose cause of sadness is her invisibility as he assumes.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It was just a normal day and everyone was doing their normal jobs. I'm a florist so I was setting up my shop and all of a sudden, the clouds turned grey. My shop was an outdoor shop, so I didn't have any business for the day and I went back home like most people, thinking that it would rain. But all of a sudden, everything disappeared. Nothing was there. No people. No buildings. So I ran and..." She gasps loudly before continuing. "What if they all became invisible like me?"

"Do you want me to come with you to check it out?" Shouto asks. He regrets asking it the moment he finishes the question but now he's in a position where he can't even take back his words without feeling guilty.

"Oh my God! Will you come? I'm so... I don't know what I should do but I want to see them." Shouto sighs quietly as she rambles.

"I will. Come on, lead the way. And make sure that you do something so that I'm going in the right direction. Sorry for reminding you, but you're invisible after all." He smiles a small sad smile.

"I'll tell you where to go. I'll be quiet if we run into someone. We don't want people to think you're a mad man." She quips in a strangely cheerful tone.

Wasn't she crying earlier?

Shouto ponders as he follows her instructions and walks with the woman.


End file.
